The present invention relates to firearms, and more particularly to a system and related method to secure a handguard to a firearm.
Many modern sporting and military firearms include a handguard that extends forward and around a barrel of the firearm. The handguard prevents contact between the user and the barrel, thereby protecting the user when the barrel heats up after extended periods of fire. The handguard also can provide one or more rails or other surfaces upon which to mount accessories, such as lights, lasers, grenade launchers and other items.
An issue with many handguards is that they can be difficult to securely and precisely mount to a firearm. Frequently, handguards are provided with screws that tighten against a part of the barrel or some other portion of the firearm. While the screws can hold the handguard in most situations, they can sometimes give way and slide, so that the handguard can rotate, under excessive forces or moments exerted on the handguard, relative to the remainder of the firearm. In turn, this can provide an inadequate grasping surface. In other cases, where the rotation is significant, rails on the handguard can misalign with other rails on the remainder of the firearm. This can be particularly problematic where a sight or laser is mounted on the handguard. As a result of the rotation or misalignment, the firearm can become less accurate or the accessory can be damaged.
Accordingly, there remains room for improvement in the field of handguards, and in particular, the way that they are secured to a firearm to prevent rotation or movement of the handguard, and any associated accessories, relative to the remainder of the firearm.